


We Could Be The Stars Out Here Tonight

by thegreatgasly (londonbird)



Category: Formula 1 RPF, Motorsport RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Romantic Fluff, Stargazing, deep talks while looking at the sky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-20
Updated: 2019-08-20
Packaged: 2020-09-19 06:31:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20326663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/londonbird/pseuds/thegreatgasly
Summary: Charles and Pierre both have a frustrating race in Hockenheim. They end up stargazing on the rooftop.





	We Could Be The Stars Out Here Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> I got the idea for this as I was on a long train ride listening to the song Stars by VIZE. It felt perfect for these two.  
Also, this is my first F1 fic and I am so happy I can finally post something in this fandom where I have read lots of amazing stories. I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
> 
> Special thanks to @charona for your massive support and just constantly pushing me to create the best possible version of this fic. It means the world to me!

Pierre hadn’t talked to anyone after the race apart from the people he had to speak to. He already felt overwhelmed by the press and his team’s input, and how apparently everyone seemed to know what he was doing wrong except himself. He understood why he was being criticised but some people were rude about it and only seemed to want to put him down instead of being constructive and helpful.

He was also fed up with constantly having to justify himself, he didn’t know what to say anymore except that he was already giving it his all and it sounded less believable each time he repeated those same words. The whole situation had become incredibly frustrating and hurtful.

He tried his best not to let the negativity get to him and shut himself off but it was exhausting, not just dealing with everyone’s attention but also trying to protect himself from constant attacks and building up a wall. It drained him more than racing itself and once he was done with his press duties and meetings, he was desperate to finally have a conversation with someone which didn’t revolve around him being a disappointment.

He’d heard enough and needed to switch off. Besides, now that he had had some time to reflect on the race, worry had settled in; worry about Charles after his crash because he knew how badly he took those situations and how hard he was on himself.

After a quick shower, Pierre threw on some jeans and a shirt and made his way to the Ferrari motorhome, swiftly moving through the paddock and all the people who were packing everything up. Fortunately everyone was busy so no one seemed to take notice of him, questioning his presence, and he soon ended up at Charles’ door, knocking, slightly impatient by now. They hadn’t talked to each other since the drivers’ parade and it felt like an eternity ago.

There was no response at first and Pierre started wondering if Charles had already left, but then the door opened and he was there and Pierre’s protective instincts immediately kicked in. Charles’ face was pale and it was clear he had been crying not too long ago, his shoulders slumped and he looked so small, as if he was trying to shrink himself and disappear any second. 

Seeing him like this somehow felt ten times worse for Pierre than his own defeat, and without hesitation he pulled Charles into a hug, holding him tightly. Neither of them said anything, knowing it wasn’t a time for words, just silent comfort, and when Charles broke his freeze and pressed against him, face buried into his neck and arms loosely wrapped around his waist, Pierre knew it was working.

There had been a real whirlwind of emotions inside of him after he got out of his car - anger, frustration, disappointment, sadness, self-doubt, fear - and all of that slowly floated away from him as he focused only on Charles, how he felt in his arms, familiar and soothing. One of his hands came to rest at the back of Charles’ neck, fingers caressing his skin and the tips of his hair there.

Charles hummed contentedly in response and relaxed in his hold, tension leaving his body. When he spoke up, his voice was quiet. “I’m so tired and my head hurts”, he murmured, and Pierre frowned, images of Charles’ crash coming back to his mind. 

Pierre hadn’t been able to give much thought to it when it happened because he had to concentrate on his own race, but after he had crashed out as well he had watched the replays of Charles’ incident. The impact hadn’t seemed particularly bad, but maybe it had actually been worse than it looked on screen.

He pulled back slightly, trying to look at Charles and assess his state but Charles kept clinging to him, face hidden against his shoulder which was actually kind of adorable and almost distracted Pierre from the question he wanted to ask. “Did you see a doctor earlier?”

Charles nodded and sighed. “No signs of a concussion or anything. Probably just stress.”

Pierre breathed out, relieved to know it was nothing serious that couldn’t be fixed by a good night’s sleep. At least that was one thing less to worry about. “We’ll be home soon, then you can rest.”

It still felt a little strange for Pierre to call it _their home_ when he had never officially moved in with Charles, but it had never even come up for discussion. They had just started their routine of living at Charles’ place in between races, with Pierre only leaving whenever his presence was required at the factory or he visited his family and it seemed to work.

They had always been close and spent a lot of time together, but it was different now that they were dating and sharing literally everything. It was a whole new level of domesticity he had never experienced with anyone before but Pierre found himself enjoying it. All the little things like waking up next to each other, wearing each other's clothes or going to the supermarket in the middle of the night to buy chocolate bars together like a pair of rebellious teenagers were very dear to him.

He drifted off into daydreams, thinking about home, sleeping in their own bed and the things they could do during the week before they had to fly off to Hungary until Charles moved and turned his head, seeking out Pierre’s eyes. “You’re being quiet. Are you okay?” His eyes were big and sad, and paired with the concern in his voice it all went straight to Pierre’s heart. 

“Of course”, he replied with a tiny smile, leaning in to gently touch their foreheads together. “I’m fine. I was just thinking about how I can’t wait to go home.” He wasn’t exactly fine but he had his feelings under control for now and didn’t want to get into them, let alone burden Charles. It was not what they needed right now. They could always talk later.

“Okay.” Charles’ face softened and a tired smile appeared, small but still radiant since they were so close. “I’m glad you’re here”, he added, and Pierre could feel his own expression lightening up more and it wasn’t just because of those sweet words. Charles smiling had that effect on him. When Charles was feeling good, he felt good, too, it had always been like that, even more so since they were together. He always wanted Charles to be happy.

“I have to finish getting ready. We have to leave soon”, Charles said eventually, sounding about as unwilling to move as Pierre felt. They obviously couldn’t stay like this in the middle of the room forever and Pierre nodded, yet tightened his grip on Charles, not wanting to let go of him and the moment just yet, wanting to revel in the safe little bubble they had built for themselves just a little longer.

He felt Charles moving but instead of pulling back, he tilted his head and pressed their lips together in a soft kiss, Pierre’s eyes fluttering shut. “See you on the plane.”

***

The flight was uneventful and Pierre spent it listening to music and watching over Charles, who was cuddled up to his side catching up on the sleep he had been craving all afternoon. His mouth had fallen open and he was drooling onto Pierre’s hoodie, but Pierre didn’t care. He was not going to disturb Charles because it was not often that he managed to fall asleep on a plane.

Charles didn’t like flying - he hated giving up control, putting his life into someone else’s hands. It had always made him anxious and restless, causing him to fidget in his seat for hours unable to settle down. However, things had changed a little with Pierre by his side. Now Charles was able to relax and switch off more easily. He could allow himself to just _be_ sometimes, knowing he was safe with Pierre, which also allowed him to take naps during flights like today.

It was something Pierre secretly took pride in, knowing he had that effect on Charles and that he could make him feel secure and calm. He had always been protective of Charles, automatically felt responsible for him because he was older, and it had only intensified over time as they had grown older and closer. When fate had decided to strike, he had been there to watch Charles take the blows and never left his side. There was no emotion that he hadn’t seen Charles go through, learning how to read him like no one else.

Charles twitched against him and Pierre glanced down, frowning in concern. Charles had nightmares sometimes, bad nightmares, especially after races that hadn’t gone well. But although Charles’ eyelids fluttered, they didn’t open, so he concluded it was nothing and just gently squeezed Charles' side, content when Charles sighed and pressed closer to him without waking up.

Pierre went back to looking out the window then, admiring the colors of the sky as it turned from sunset to darkness, and in combination with the feeling of Charles still resting heavily against his side it gave him a sense of peace. He thought about the events of the day, his failure and all the comments that had been made, but everything seemed distant now. There was nothing he could do about today’s result, and he accepted that.

When they landed, he woke up Charles with whispers and soft kisses to his temple. Charles’ hair had gotten all messed up during the nap and Pierre tried to smooth it out for him while he came to. They both didn’t really feel like getting up, wanting to stay in their seats as long as possible in comfortable silence until the pilot eventually told them they really had to get off the plane, the other passengers long gone.

Pierre drove them back to Monaco in comfortable silence, Coldplay softly playing in the background while they were both occupied with their own thoughts. 

When they arrived at their place, they dropped their luggage and instantly crashed on the couch to start a Netflix marathon while feeding each other the take away sushi they had picked up on the way. It turned out that being home again was a great distraction, and Pierre felt both his and Charles mood improve over the course of the night. 

At some point, Pierre came up with the idea to see how many pieces of sushi he could stuff into his mouth at the same time. Charles did not even try to stop him and just watched, amused until he burst into tears laughing when Pierre ended up getting soy sauce on his Gucci shirt while choking on too much wasabi and a mouth full of salmon.

“You’re such an idiot.” Charles was still wheezing a little from laughing so hard, his cheeks flushed, and even though Pierre’s eyes were still watery and his mouth burning from the spiciness of the food, he grinned, pleased to have made Charles laugh.

“You love it.” He set down his plate and chopsticks before sitting back and putting his arm around Charles, pulling him close. “What do you want to do now? Should we go to sleep?”

Charles settled with his head against Pierre’s shoulder and looked up at him, a calm, soft expression on his face. “I don’t know. I don’t really feel tired anymore.”

Pierre hummed, feeling the same. After resting on the flight and their antics just now he didn’t think he would be able to sleep either. He went through some other options in his head but none of them seemed fitting, Netflix was too boring, playing FIFA too much effort. Then he suddenly had an idea.

“Oh, I know. Let’s go up to the rooftop!”

That earned him a confused glance from Charles. “The rooftop?”

Pierre grinned excitedly, already reaching for Charles’ hand. “Yes! Come on!” He jumped up, trying to pull up Charles with him in the process but he wasn’t as quick, seemingly still contemplating whether this was a good idea and suddenly Pierre realised something. His eyes widened. “Don’t tell me you’ve never been up there?”

“Uh, well, no”, Charles admitted, quickly continuing when he saw Pierre’s incredulous expression, mouth agape with disbelief. “I don’t think you’re supposed to go there. It’s not safe.”

Pierre just huffed and tightened his grip on Charles’ hand. “You are unbelievable. Of course it’s safe, or why else would they even have a door that leads there?”

Charles groaned but didn’t protest any further, which Pierre took as a victory. But he could still sense that Charles seemed uncomfortable with the idea and that was not what he wanted. He knew Charles wasn’t keen on heights but he was sure Charles would still love watching the city and the stars from the roof.

He started another attempt to convince him. ”It’s amazing, you’ll see.” He linked their fingers together and put on his most charming smile, the one he knew always got Charles. “Just trust me, okay?” 

Charles playfully rolled his eyes but nodded, and the smug grin returned to Pierre’s face. Now they were good to go. He placed a quick peck to Charles’ lips, tempted to linger and kiss him properly but the excitement about his idea instantly came back and urged him on. Pulling Charles along he grabbed the keys and shut the door behind them.

They didn’t speak as they made their way up the staircase, a comfortable silence surrounding them once again as Charles followed Pierre’s lead closely. Pierre kept looking back over his shoulder, as if feeling his hand in his own wasn’t enough to make sure Charles was still with him.

Once they reached the top of the staircase, Charles seemed hesitant again when they stood in front of the door. “It says ‘Emergency exit only’.”

“It clearly is an emergency if you’ve never watched the stars from up here”, Pierre retorted, pushing the door open with one hand and using the other to push Charles to step outside in front of him. Fresh air instantly hit them, a mild breeze that smelled like summer and the sea and freedom. He wrapped his arms around Charles’ waist and held him close to his chest, chin resting on his shoulder. “You don’t have to be scared. I’ll keep you safe.”

They just stood there for a moment and took everything in, the atmosphere and the sky above them. It was pitch black, making the stars look brighter than Pierre remembered them. Beneath them the city lights were laid out, sparkling all the way to the harbour and out into the sea, and Pierre found the view strangely calming to look at without the noisy backdrop of Monaco’s busy nightlife. In their embrace he could feel Charles’ breathing evening out, the tension slowly ebbing away from him as they looked on into the darkness, trying to figure out where the sea ended and the horizon began.

He started putting small kisses on Charles’ neck, moving his lips up and along his jaw, until Charles turned his head and their mouths met. They kissed, gently at first, but with a growing intensity of their lips moving against each other that made Pierre’s heart hammer in his chest and lungs struggle for air. Charles turned in his embrace to face him, bringing himself closer to him with his hands clutching at the hem of Pierre’s shirt and it made Pierre just love him more.

When they parted, they were both panting, still holding onto each other, until Pierre took a step back. “Wait here.”

Charles threw him a questioning look. “There should be a blanket and some pillows somewhere, I’ll get them”, Pierre explained, kissing Charles again when he still seemed doubtful. “Don’t look down, look up at the stars, okay? Just don’t look down over the railing and you’ll be fine.”

He went over to where some chairs were piled up in the corner and pulled out a cardboard box hidden underneath them, taking out the blanket and pillows in there and carrying them over back to Charles in the middle of the roof. Charles had not moved one inch as if he was paralyzed, and when Pierre came closer he noticed that Charles had closed his eyes, fists clenched at his sides, clearly anxious. The sight actually made him feel bad because he hadn’t wanted Charles to go into a panic.

“I’m back, I’m here”, he announced, quickly spreading out the blanket and dropping the pillows in the center of it, pulling Charles back into his arms and gently kissing his forehead. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it would be this bad. We can go back inside if you want to, I don’t want you to be scared.”

Charles shook his head. “I’m good.” He put his hands on Pierre’s hips, thumbs stroking his hip bone and Pierre shivered, enjoying the gentle touch. “You have to confront your fears, right? Besides, I wanna watch the stars with you now.”

He placed a kiss on Pierre’s lips before letting go of him and sitting down on the blanket, arranging the pillows in what seemed to be the most comfortable way before stretching himself out on them. Pierre joined him, lying down next to him, arm slung over Charles’ stomach.

“And I feel safe when you’re here.”

Pierre smiled at Charles’ words and shifted to rest his head on Charles’ chest, right over his heart. He listened to his steady heartbeat as he focused on the sky again, trying to make out the constellations but it had been so long since he had watched the stars, he couldn’t seem to recognise any. Eventually, he just gave up and enjoyed the view, feeling so calm that Charles’ heartbeat almost lulled him to sleep.

Pierre didn’t know how much time passed with them lying there quietly, both lost inside their own minds, but after a while he felt his thoughts drifting into a sad direction and he didn’t like it. He decided to ask Charles something to distract himself.

“Do you ever wish you could travel to space?”

Charles shook his head. “No. Do you?”

“Yes.” Pierre rolled onto his back, eyes fixed on the starry sky. “Imagine how amazing it would be, completely detached from the world, watching it from so far away. Not knowing anything that’s going on down there, just seeing its beauty.”

Thinking about it made Pierre feel excited and sentimental at the same time. It was something he had always wanted to experience, a fascination he had had since childhood with planets and stars and space.

“Maybe. But I wouldn’t let you go.” Charles snuggled up to Pierre’s side as if to emphasize his point. “You might not come back. Aren’t you scared of that?”

“I never thought about that part of it”, Pierre admitted, putting his arm around Charles comfortingly.

Pierre always tended to think about the positives more than the negatives, seeing the fun aspects of an idea rather than considering the consequences or risks. It was simply in his nature to be open-minded to anything and want to try everything at least once, no matter how crazy or unsafe it seemed to others. If someone else had done it before and survived, it could not be so bad, right?

Charles was the opposite, cautious and hesitant, always thinking that he couldn’t or shouldn’t. And he was constantly afraid of losing Pierre, a worry instilled in him due to what had happened with Jules and his dad. It was his biggest fear and the reason why they hadn’t acted on their feelings for the longest time, keeping things strictly platonic between them. Charles had been scared that if they became lovers and things didn’t work out, it would ruin their friendship.

Therefore, it had taken Pierre a lot to convince Charles to give them a chance, and now that they were finally together, he tried his best to help ease Charles’ fear and not let it affect him too much. They both knew it would always be there, though, and it came up sometimes, usually when he least expected it like in that moment.

“I’d make you come with me then, so at least we’d be together. No matter what would happen.” He moved his hand up into Charles hair, gently running his fingers through it and playing with the tips in what he hoped was a soothing motion.

Charles leaned into his touch and sighed. “You know, there’s probably people who died in space and they are still floating around in their spaceships. They’ll never come back to earth, their bodies will just stay up there forever. Isn’t that strange?” 

This was another unexpected turn of the conversation, although also not an unusual one. For many people talking about death was still a taboo but they had had to learn how to deal with it when it had become a part of their lives. It was no longer an abstract concept, it was very real and tangible and talking about it had helped both of them to accept it as something that was not only inevitable, but natural.

Pierre contemplated the thought, watching the stars sparkle on the dark canvas of the sky. There was a certain magic to it, how they seemed so close yet so far away at the same time, and he couldn’t help but feel drawn to them and to the idea of having a place among them for all eternity. It didn’t seem so bad.

“Yeah. But, in a way, I think it’s like being immortal. I actually wouldn’t mind that.” Maybe it was morbid but when Pierre thought about possible ways of dying, up in space certainly didn’t seem like the worst one. “Especially with you.”

Charles raised his head and looked up at him then, eyes wide in wonder and innocence in a way that was rare for him ever since he had been forced to grow up too fast. It reminded Pierre of their childhood, a time when they were still carefree, oblivious of life and its troubles, and it had actually been clear that he was the older one of the two of them. Nowadays, he often felt like he was actually younger than Charles who always seemed so composed, so responsible, so wise beyond his years.

“You’d really want to stay with me forever? In space?” Charles’ voice was barely above a whisper yet it had an incredulous edge to it, his omnipresent fear bubbling up again, making its way to the surface.

Pierre smiled and moved his hand from the back of Charles’ neck to cup his cheek. “In space, on earth or anywhere else, really.” He held Charles’ gaze, stroking his cheek with his thumb as they looked at each other in a silent exchange, and all he could feel in that moment was intense love, affection and understanding between them. “I love you.”

Charles looked at him for a second before he moved in for a kiss, sweetly bringing their lips together. “I love you, too.” He pulled back just enough to speak, mouth still hovering over Pierre’s as he smiled. “Even though there’s no third option besides space or earth, silly.”

“Smartass”, Pierre retorted, kissing Charles again, his hand still cupping his face. “I was being romantic.” Charles chuckled but apparently got too distracted by their kiss to further tease him, which Pierre didn’t mind at all. He felt so connected and close to him after their conversation, reassured in the belief that they could talk about anything without it being weird or uncomfortable, and he wanted to cherish every second of that feeling.

They kissed, lost in their own world and it felt like time was standing still, as if nothing else existed but them. It gave Pierre flashbacks of their first night together when they hadn’t been able to stop kissing and touching each other, desperate to make up for all the time lost, to finally feel each other after holding back for so long. Except now there was nothing frantic or urgent about their touch, it was slow and languid because they knew they had all the time in the world.

It was the only comfort Pierre had, with his career going so differently than expected and on the verge of falling apart already, that Charles was his constant and he knew he would always be there, because they had forever.


End file.
